Now more than ever, it’s crucial to make sure parents or guardians are involved in the education of our kids—as you well know. Countless studies show that children have a much better chance at overall success in life if they have a strong support system at home. If TXGU kids can go to a place where the lessons continue after the final bell rings, only great things can happen. Certainly every situation is unique, but having a solid plan for you and your TXGU parents to follow will take the guesswork out of how to make this connection.

To give you a little extra firepower, we hunted down some helpful tips and strategies you can use in your parent-engagement planning. It all starts with making parents feel welcomed and immediately recognized as a key member of their kid’s success team. Another big tip highlighted in the article is to reduce the amount of jargon and just talk to parents like a friend. Once you’ve got buy-in, regular and meaningful communication will really solidify this bond. And one other big theme here is transparency. Peeling back the curtain on their kids’ education makes a bright future much easier to see. Once you make a parent feel invested and welcomed, everybody wins.